compressed

Everyday

1. Pressed or squeezed into a smaller space: compressed air. tree →
2. Made shorter or smaller: a compressed timetable. tree →
3. (computing) Made into a smaller file that takes less space: a compressed folder. tree →

In the lessons

In science, gases can be compressed (squeezed into a smaller volume) but solids and liquids hardly at all; compressed air fills tyres and diving tanks. In computing, compressed files download faster. Phrases: compressed air, compressed file, compressed into.

Examples

• Divers breathe compressed air from tanks. tree →
• The sponge compressed when I squeezed it. tree →
• Gases can be compressed, but liquids cannot easily be. tree →
• Dad compressed the photos into one small file. tree →
• The whole year's work was compressed into one week. tree →
• Compressed gas cans can explode if heated. tree →

Note

Regular verb: compressed. Noun: compression; a compress is also a pad pressed on a wound. In science, compressing a gas makes it take less volume; its mass stays the same.